On Wednesday, September 30, over 50 members of the Coca-Cola Enterprises that work out of the Bronx, many also Bronx residents, gathered with Parks representatives at Ferry Point Park to help care for newly planted trees.

“Most of the employees here live in the Bronx,” said Tom Sagliano, sale center manager for the Bronx center of Coca-Cola Enterprises and Bronx native. “Cleaning up and being a part of a sponsorship in association with the city ties into our company’s program of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability.”

As a part of the MillionTreesNYC initiative through Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC, the volunteers spent the day mulching, weeding, cleaning and caring for the 2,000 newly-planted trees in the park. They also helped repair damaged fencing used to protect the trees.

“Over the years we have worked hard at being an important part of our community and at being good to our neighbors,” said Kevin Flood, vice president for the NY Coca-Cola Enterprises. “This is a great way to align ourselves in the communities we live and work.”

According to a Parks representative, the most critical time in a tree’s growth is within the first two years when it may be vulnerable to natural and man-made threats.

From Friday, September 25 through Friday, October 2, over 72,000 Coca-Cola employees from around the world helped out in their local communities for the ‘CRS in Action Week.’

“We will be investing $116 million over the next couple of years in this park,” said Aponte. “This park has been transformed and today the people from Coca-Cola are here to help. We appreciate the workers taking their time out because volunteering is vital to New York City.”

The goal of MillionTreesNYC, launched in October 2007, is to help green NYC by planting and caring for one million trees by 2017.